San Benito County, CA Noise Ordinances: Outdoor Music (2026)

Outdoor music in the unincorporated county sits at the intersection of the County's noise code and its land-use permitting. Under Chapter 19.39, any outdoor music must not create an unreasonable 'noise disturbance' (Section 19.39.020) and must stay within the 'Maximum Permissible Sound Pressure Levels' measured at the affected property line (Section 19.39.030). The chapter's narrow exemption for unamplified, non-commercial public speech not plainly audible beyond 100 feet does not extend to amplified outdoor music. Separately - and often more decisively for venues - recurring or larger outdoor-music events are regulated through the Resource Management Agency's discretionary entitlements. San Benito County has an established wine-growing area (notably the Cienega Valley around Paicines, plus tasting rooms and ranch venues near Tres Pinos), and outdoor concerts, weddings, and festivals at those sites are typically authorized by a use permit or a temporary-use / special-event permit. Those permits commonly attach site-specific conditions: a maximum amplified-sound level, a setback to the nearest residence, an end time for live and amplified music, attendance caps, and sometimes a limit on events per year. Those conditions can be stricter than the baseline noise chapter and are enforced by County code-enforcement staff. A one-time private gathering that stays within the noise limits and ends at a reasonable hour may not require a permit, but still must not violate Section 19.39.020 or 19.39.030. Because verbatim decibel figures in Section 19.39.030 were not available in the sources reviewed, organizers should confirm thresholds with the Resource Management Agency. Inside Hollister and San Juan Bautista, the city's noise ordinance and event-permit process apply instead.